While Mandela’s own foundation, on instruction by the father of the South African nation himself, chase down commercial exploitation of his image, it cannot stem the appetite for more, especially now.

The Mandela Foundation itself has its own authorised brand of Mandela clothing, which it sells to raise funds for good works.

At the Jacana curio store just off Nelson Mandela Square at the Sandton City shopping centre, a new shipment of merchandise has just arrived.

“We get these T-shirts every year before Mandela’s birthday,” on July 18, saleswoman Shana Melansky said.

Nearby, onlookers gazed at a giant six-metre bronze statute depicting a dancing Mandela which was unveiled in 2003.

The shirts are made to be sold on the statesman’s birthday, also called Mandela Day, which was officially declared by the United Nations in 2009, when people around the world are expected to follow his example and do good deeds.

One of the T-shirts with Mandela’s face and an inscription that reads “The story depends on who wrote it” fetches R240, while another similar one goes for R340.

“A lot of people buy them. We have had a lot of tourists lately,” Melansky said.

“Mandela sells!” said clerk Dumi at the Sowearto store, which specialises in colourful T-shirts, especially children’s clothing with Mandela’s face on it.

Nearby in the Stuttafords chain store, shoppers can pick up garments sporting the “46664” logo, formerly Mandela’s apartheid prison number and now the brand for his global HIV/Aids awareness campaign.

Colourful button shirts with patterns, made famous by Mandela in the 1990s during his presidency and called “Madiba shirts” after his clan name, cost R700.

Near one of the stands, engineer John Buthelezi hesitates, however.

“He’s my hero. He is the father of the nation. But it’s too expensive,” he told AFP.

In Pretoria, across the road from the hospital where Mandela has been fighting a recurring lung infection since June 8, Godfrey Mootitsi sells 1 square metre items of printed fabric depicting the peace icon.

At R100 a piece, he’s doubled the price in recent weeks.

Not all those who try to cash in on Mandela’s ill health are happy though.

“There are many more people than usual, but they are journalists and they don’t buy anything,” complained a vendor, who only identified himself as Kony, in front of the great leader’s former home turned museum in the township of Soweto.

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